The invention is directed to a method for checking the presentation of components to automatic equipping units.
In the automatic onserting (equipping) of substrates (for example, printed circuit boards or ceramic substrates) with SMD components (SMD=surface mounted device), the individual components are taken from a delivery means with an onserting (equipping) head and are then positioned on the substrate in a predetermined position.
Checking whether the correct components are offered or presented in the delivery means has hitherto been manually undertaken by the operator. For a delivery means in the form of belts provided with component pockets or compartments, it is known to equip the reel members around which the belts are wound in the delivered condition with bar codes. These bar codes are read out before installation in the automatic outputting unit and thus allow a certain check as to the presence of the correct components. However, only the reel member is checked in such a check; whether the belt and reel member match is assumed.
It is an object of the invention to provide a method with which the checking of whether the correct components are offered in the delivery means for an automatic onserting unit ensues automatically.
To that extent, an embodiment of the invention provides a method for checking the offering of components to an automatic onserting unit for the onserting of substrates with the components, comprising the steps of:
taking a picture of the surface of a component to be onserted positioned in a delivery means with a camera;
comparing the picture in an image evaluation unit following the camera to a stored pattern of the component to be onserted;
given agreement in the comparison, onserting the component onto the substrate; and
given disagreement in the comparison, outputting an error message.
Advantageously, a camera takes a picture of the surface of the component in the delivery means to be onserted before the onserting head takes it out of the delivery means. The term xe2x80x9csurfacexe2x80x9d thereby also covers terminals of the component to be recognized from above. An image evaluation unit then compares the picture to a previously stored pattern of the component and the component is onserted only when the picture matches the pattern. This check ensues automatically with the camera and the image evaluation unit. It is not dependent on the operator and directly evaluates the component and not an intervening carrier, such as, for example, a reel member.
Advantageously, the position of the component in the delivery means can also be identified by the comparison of the picture to the pattern. As a result thereof, the onserting head can be brought into a position favorable for the pick-up before the component is picked up. This method also is particularly suitable for components that are located in pockets that are too big for the components so that the position of a component is initially only imprecisely known.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the stored pattern contains information such as company names, company logos or type designations that are identified on the picture of the component with the assistance of the image evaluation means for checking the fitting. Such identification can be in the form of written data.
In an embodiment of the invention, encoded characters (bar codes, matrix codes) or markings (function or position markings) applied on the surface of the component can also be identified with the image evaluation unit.
Given terminals recognizable from above, these also can he contained in the pattern in order to identify the correct fitting or the correct position of the components.
In an embodiment of the invention, the camera attached to the onserting head is advantageously employed for the recognition of substrate markings for the position recognition of the substrate.
These and other features of the invention are discussed in greater detail below in the following detailed description of the presently preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings.